How to Blow Up a Pipeline, 2022.
Directed by Daniel Goldhaber.
Starring Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth, Lukas Gage, Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane, Jayme Lawson, Marcus Scribner, Jake Weary, Irene Bedard, Olive Jane Lorraine, Giancarlo Beltran, Mariel Martinez, Jasper Keen, Halle Charlton, Loren Anthony, Sam Quinn, Mark Duke Dalton, Brian Landis Folkins, Kim S. Monti, Calhoun Koenig, Sarah Minnich, and Travis Hammer.
SYNOPSIS:
A crew of environmental activists plot a daring plan to disrupt an oil pipeline.
Eight young adults are preparing to blow up a West Texas oil pipeline. On the surface, it sounds like domestic terrorism. To them, it’s environmental activism, operating under the logic that sabotage is a perfectly reasonable means to clap back against a government disinterested in fighting climate change or pulling back on chemical power plants that cause several locals to become fatally ill or from hoarding additional land.
That’s a clear picture of what the justifiably angry rebels are rising against in director Daniel Goldhaber’s How to Blow Up a Pipeline (co-writing alongside star Ariela Barer and Jordan Sjol, based on the book by Andreas Malm), which draws from various backgrounds forming a ragtag group suggesting that, even if everyone doesn’t necessarily share similar personality traits or seem like they would hang out together outside this dangerous mission, all have something to gain by joining forces.
There is Xochitl (Ariela Barer), mourning the loss of her mother and dropping out of college to partner up with demolitions expert Michael (Forrest Goodluck), who is tired of white people moving in on the Conservatory and his mom not standing up to them. Her best friend Theo (Sasha Lane) also has leukemia brought on by toxic chemicals, with her and her disapproving girlfriend Alisha (Jayme Lawson) brought into the fold. Xochitl is also accompanied by her boyfriend, Shawn (Marcus Scribner). Some chaotic energy is added to the mix with trashy and horny drug-addict couple Logan and Rowan (Lukas Gage and Kristine Froseth, respectively), a pairing that feels destined to screw something up, sending the whole mission spiraling. And rounding out the team is West Texas local Dwayne (Jake Weary), a gun-toting quiet type sick of the government interfering with his land.
How to Blow Up a Pipeline wisely drops viewers right into the thick of the plotting as we watch these characters go through the perilous motions of crafting such a bomb while also concisely laying out the step-by-step parameters of what they actually have to do to accomplish this destruction. Whenever the situation turns for the worse (and potentially deadly), the filmmakers use those moments as cliffhangers while trotting out short and to-the-point flashbacks for each character summarizing why they have joined this cause.
While it’s difficult to say any of these characters end up fully fleshed-out beyond what they are taking a stand for and worth genuinely investing in, the greater illustration it paints about rebellion is worthwhile and thrilling. It’s also beneficial that the film is tensely acted with white-knuckle suspense. Even when the cuts to flashbacks during potentially impending death start to become repetitive, it never feels like the film is playing a trick, and the mission could go south at any moment.
There is also considerable care to depict this sabotage as realistically as possible. The group has to contend with avoiding drones, unexpected backup, and even their own explosive contraptions possibly backfiring on them. However, the story does get a bit too twisty during the final act, leading to a somewhat abrupt ending that is simultaneously satisfying yet leaves one craving something more emotionally resonant or impactful. Still, the pacing is measured and propulsive, with an assortment of varied characters that easily get one behind the cause.
How to Blow Up a Pipeline director Daniel Goldhaber also knows how to make a scintillating nail-biter, even if some aspects could be more heated.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
